Jerry Seinfeld signs exclusive deal with Netflix

Jerry Seinfeld is making Netflix the exclusive home for his new comedic endeavours. The streaming service has signed the comedian to a multifaceted production deal, starting in 2017.

As part of the exclusive pact, new episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee will arrive exclusively on Netflix in late 2017, as will previous episodes of the Emmy-nominated series. Seinfeld will also film two, all-new stand-up shows, the first arriving later this year. Seinfeld will help develop scripted and non-scripted comedy programming for Netflix, with additional elements of the deal to be announced later.

Seinfeld with the late Garry Shandling

“Jerry is known the world over as both a great TV innovator and beloved comic voice,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix. “We are incredibly proud to welcome him to the Netflix comedy family.”

“When I first started thinking about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the entire Netflix business model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes. I love that we are now joining together, both at very different points,” said Seinfeld, who produces, directs and hosts the show. “I am also very excited to be working with Ted Sarandos at Netflix, a guy and a place that not only have the same enthusiasm for the art of stand-up comedy as I do, but the most amazing technology platform to deliver it in a way that has never existed before. I am really quite charged up to be moving there.”

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee started on the Sony streaming service Crackle four and half years ago.

The Hollywood Reporter has suggested the Jerry Seinfeld deal with Netflix could be worth as much as US$100m.